The Last We See
by RicochetXD
Summary: She was a blazing star, a guiding force. At twenty-three, she was the best the city had to offer. But now she's dead. And those that remain behind must search for meaning in a city filled with ruin and despair. Chat Noir won't give up though. Even if she's gone, he will ensure her legacy remains. Because that's all he can do for the one he loves.


The city was burning.

It was hard to remember when it wasn't that way. When Paris was whole. When they were enough. When Ladybug was shining bright at the forefront of a hero team that couldn't be shaken. It was hard to remember a time when the city was filled with color, when the citizens knew, at the end of the day, they were safe. It was hard to remember Ladybug. But they tried.

There was a soft breeze that swept through the park, the night illuminated by a sea of yellow and orange, a sea of candles lifted in somber memory.

The statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir from their youth stood tall, once a symbol of empowerment, now the source of their despair.

It had been one year since she died.

One year since the miraculous holders became powerless to save anyone.

One year since Hawkmoth's petty attacks had turned into horrors that they could not escape.

One year since the heroes vanished, all of them…

…but one.

He dared not intrude on the ceremony, sitting high on a nearby rooftop and simply observing in his own way. A clawed hand came up to his chest, holding a small item close to his heart.

"My Lady..." he whispered into the darkness.

Chat Noir diverted his gaze then stood up. It was time to get moving. Hawkmoth would likely seize this opportunity to sow even more despair. His green eyes traveled upward, towards the stars. This never would have happened if he hadn't-

_She was covered in blood, ragged sounds of pain escaping her. Her hand reached out, gripping his, pulling it to her broken chest._

"_Chat…" she managed. "Chat I-"_

He shook his head to dispel the thought.

The city was burning.

And he was the only hero left to save it.

How pathetic. He was the cause of it all and yet..

He felt eyes on him and glanced down.

Luka.

The man was standing near the back of the service, wearing a dark hoodie and jeans, dark hair bound back from his face by a small ponytail, like he had made the effort to look decent for this, like this memorial was the first one.

He felt those blue eyes burning into him, saw the man give him a sorrow-filled, understanding expression. Like he felt for Chat Noir.

Chat didn't deserve that look.

If Luka realized who he was, he'd hate him just as much as he hated Adrien.

Without waiting, Chat extended his baton and was off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

The vision of Ladybug was fading before his eyes.

Every day, he forgot a little bit more about her. Her laughter, her smile, her bright, bluebell eyes, the way her nose crinkled in mock disgust when he said a particularly outrageous pun… the way her breath sped up when he confessed his feelings, time and time again. The way her gaze had slowly shifted to another, losing their light for him.

If she'd ever seen him at all.

But all of that was in the past.

He slowed down, coming to a stop on a rooftop, tail drooping as he opened his hand, looking at the small bracelet, one of his treasures.

* * *

"Chat Noir," a female voice said nearby.

His baton was flying through the air, his hyper reflexes springing into motion as he brought the blunt end down onto the roofing where she'd just been.

"What do you want?" he growled, his voice low.

She was wearing a slender, sequined purple dress, like she had stepped out of a fancy party. Pale silver sandals poked out from under the hemline, long, ballroom gloves gracing her arms, a silver mask covering half her face in the shape of a butterfly. And the miraculous…

Shining from its place at her throat, the butterfly wings gave off an eerie vibe as Papillion took her cane in her hands and twirled it.

"Oh, relax," she said, her green eyes flashing with amusement. "I'm just here to talk. There's no need to fight tonight."

Chat didn't let his guard down, not even for a moment. "What do you want, Lila?" he said, his tone unchanging.

"Ooo. Scary," Papillion said, smirking as she moved in closer. "With the amount of despair in the city, I could easily turn this whole place upside down," she said. "Just like-" she raised her fingers, "-that." _Snap._

Chat Noir flinched, raising his baton again, taking a fighting stance.

Papillion took a small step forward, moving her mouth towards his ear. "Chat, I'm here for you," she murmured, her breath hot against his neck.

Chat moved away quickly.

She just looked amused, turning her gaze away, back to the city. She put her hands behind her back, holding the cane between them horizontally. "It's been a year, hasn't it? Since you gave the announcement that Ladybug was dead." Her green eyes darted back to him. "A little over a year since you lost her. I'm here for you. I just want you to know that."

His gaze narrowed. "Whatever it is, I know you're only here for yourself."

"If you just gave me her miraculous," Papillion said, moving closer to him. "Together, we could make any wish come true. You could bring her back. She could be alive again."

He took another half-step back, and then straightened, deciding to hold his ground. "I don't have her miraculous."

"As you keep telling me, Chat Noir, but we both know I know when someone's lying," her hand reached out, touching his bicep. "And you are lying to me."

"It takes one to know one, doesn't it?" Chat Noir said dryly. "But I'm not lying. I don't have it."

Papillion gave a pout and stepped back. "I'll give you tonight off, since it's the anniversary of her death. But you know, sooner or later, you're going to give me that miraculous. It's inevitable." She turned at that and vaulted off, into the night.

Chat Noir stared after her.

Papillion. Lila.

After his father had been defeated, or, more accurately, after he had given up, the butterfly miraculous had been given back to Ladybug.

Chat didn't know how Lila had gotten her hands on it, but she had, and, for years after, she'd given them nothing but grief. Constantly struggling to take more, to take it all. She was greedy, inconsiderate, and evil. She was much worse than his father ever was, hurt more people than his father ever hurt, cared less for the people around her, and didn't hesitate to go after what she wanted.

And what she wanted?

She was greedy.

She wanted everything.

Chat Noir turned and headed for the Eiffel Tower.

* * *

His most precious memories were dying.

Little by little.

Month by month.

The city was burning.

He glanced down and saw candles in most of the windows as he went. A candle lit for every soul that Ladybug had saved. But there were also windows that stood empty, entire buildings that had gone silent, or been reduced to rubble. Cracked roads, scorch marks, landscape that had been irrevocably changed, the city had undergone a transformation since Ladybug's death.

The damage from battles could no longer be repaired.

He slowed down, glancing at his hand.

And, with only the power of destruction on his side, he was just as much of a menace as Lila was.

He closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath.

No. He couldn't do it.

Going back to the Eiffel Tower like this…

There were too many memories there.

He changed direction, heading over building and building, towards his apartment.

He paused when he got close, spotting through the window Alya and Nino curled up on the couch together, two candles placed in the windowsill.

Alya had lost her best friend a year ago.

And it had been his fault.

* * *

The young woman had her head in Nino's lap, her reddish brown hair spilled out around her face. Her glasses were removed, presumably on the coffee table in front of them, though it was hard to see at that angle. Her eyes were closed, her face looking a little red and puffy, like she'd been crying.

Nino's hand was in her hair, stroking her head gently, his gaze fixed on her.

Rooming with Nino had honestly been what saved Chat Noir over the past year. He couldn't take the silence of his own home, or the guilt that had followed him there. But how much better was it when Alya arrived? When he had to look her in the face and answer for his part in what happened to her… what happened to Marinette?

He hopped down and ducked into the back alley next to the building, glancing around before he said, "Plagg, claws in."

There was a familiar feeling of power leaving his body, the freedom he'd come to associate with it dissipating as well. Back to being just Adrien Agreste.

"Kid, you okay?" Plagg asked.

He must have looked terrible for that to be the first thing out of the kwami's mouth.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Adrien said in response, then reached into his pocket and pulled out some cheese. "Let's go inside."

Plagg gave a sigh, taking the cheese, and then drifted over to his jacket pocket, settling down on the inside.

Adrien ran a couple fingers over his ring, the miraculous feeling as familiar to him after these long years as his own skin, before he headed for the door. Taking out his keys, he went inside and to the elevator. He pressed the button, but nothing happened. With a sigh, he headed for the stairs instead.

Thanks to the akuma attacks, construction workers and maintenance were devoted to newer buildings. If the elevator stopped working somewhere, it wasn't a priority.

It'd been a few days since the elevator worked properly at his apartment.

He arrived at the room and hesitated a minute before unlocking it, making sure he was loud enough that Nino and Alya would know he was there.

As he opened the door, he found himself the subject of Alya's glare.

The hazel-eyed woman had sat up, one leg tucked underneath her, her hair a mess. Her gaze never wavered, even as Adrien began awkwardly closing the door.

Adrien searched for the right words, turning back towards her. "Hi, Alya. It's been a..."

She immediately got up as he started speaking, snatching her glasses and her jacket, moving past him, and out the door.

"...while…" Adrien finished awkwardly as it slammed shut behind her.

Nino sighed heavily where he was and got up. "Sorry about that, man. I've told her before she needs to let it go."

Adrien looked down and leaned back against the wall. "It's my fault though, isn't it? I can't exactly blame her for not wanting to talk to me."

Nino walked over, putting up a fist and lightly punching his arm. "_You_ need to stop saying that too. You couldn't have known what would happen. No one did. The one responsible wasn't you. It was that… monster." His voice shook with rage at the end of it and he took a breath. "No one blames you, Adrien."

"Alya and Luka do."

"They're just looking for somewhere to put the hurt," Nino said in response. "And, frankly, you make it real easy to put on you. But they don't mean it. Not truly."

Adrien glanced at the door. "Yeah… I'm sure."

"You look beat. Were you at the memorial?"

Adrien thought about how to answer a moment. "I was nearby. I couldn't bring myself to go in, though."

"Why not? We lost Ladybug only a short time after Marinette so do you think…"

Adrien's head snapped up. "I think Ladybug's death has nothing to do with Marinette."

His best friend blinked and looked him over before he gave him a nod. "Well, you should sleep. While you can. You've got work early in the morning."

Adrien opened his mouth then closed it again. With a nod, he went to his room, leaving Nino behind.

* * *

Much smaller than the room he'd grown up in, it only had enough space for a bed, a dresser, and a desk crammed against the wall.

It had been a year since he quit modelling.

Since he had lost both Marinette and Ladybug in one move.

It had been a year since then.

He took off his jacket and Plagg took off, flying over to the desk and sitting down.

"Kid, you need to do what Nino said and let it go."

"I can't," Adrien said, pulling his shirt off over his head.

This past year had changed him. He had new marks on his body, scars that never would have stayed if Ladybug was still around. It was odd. All that time, growing up, even while being a superhero, he maintained a relatively light build. The miraculous made him strong. But that had changed, along with everything else. He was much broader than he used to be, much too muscular now for the modelling gigs he had built his career on.

He walked over to the desk and opened a drawer, pulling out some fresh bandages, then went to remove the one at his side. It was mostly healed, an attack from an akuma gone wrong. It had torn through his suit, leaving a sizable gash. And an ugly scar, from the looks of it.

It still bled when exposed to air and the stitches he'd sewn hadn't done much for the injury's appearance. The skin was puckered in places and uneven.

This was his life.

While the city was on fire, all he could do was keep fighting.

Nothing would change.

He heard the footsteps only a second before his door was flung open. "Adrien have you seen my-"

He felt his heart stop as he turned his head, spotting Nino in the doorway, staring at him… staring at the injuries and…

His eyes darted to the desk.

The piece of cheese Plagg was eating slowly started to slide out of the kwami's mouth. He reached up one paw and shoved it back in slowly, then swallowed. Adrien slowly looked back at Nino, who looked at him, then the kwami, then him again, then abruptly closed the door.

Adrien exchanged a look with Plagg then quickly grabbed his shirt, pulling it back over him before going back out into the main room.

This was bad.

This was bad.

Nino had-

Nino was face-down on the couch, his face buried in the pillows, one arm hanging limply off of it. After a moment of hesitation, Adrien slowly approached him. Plagg floated next to Adrien, then settled down on Adrien's shoulder, staring with bright green eyes at Nino's prone figure.

"Uh...Nino?" Adrien said, taking a step closer and leaning down, shaking him slightly. "Nino… you okay, dude?"

Nino's head suddenly shot up, straight into Adrien's face.

"Gah!" Adrien took a step back from the force, his hand going to his nose as pain made his eyes water.

"Adrien! Sorry, sorry- I-" Nino's voice came through.

Adrien blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the wetness from his eyes. At least his nose didn't seem to be bleeding.

"What the frick, man?" Adrien said.

"What the- That's my line! Adrien." He felt Nino's hands grip his shoulders and found himself looking into his best friend's brown eyes. "You're _freaking Chat Noir_."

Okay yeah, this was bad.

Adrien didn't know how to answer for a long moment, but it didn't seem like he needed to. Nino kept going.

"You're _Chat Noir, _superhero, Ladybug's partner, the last remaining hero in Paris after we all lost our miraculouses! I mean, I _fought_ next to you. For _years_. As _Carapace._ And I had no idea it was you! And this past year, you've been doing it all by yourself! What the hell? I've been spending all this time feeling sorry for you, but you've been like this…" he made a wild motion with his hands. "This _person_, yano? Dude. You're-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Adrien said.

"Slow down? Slow down? Adrien."

"Nino," Adrien said. "This might come as a shock to you, but it's not really a big deal, okay? It's just a duty that I have to-"

"Not a big deal? Dude, when Alya finds out-"

Adrien reached forward, gripping Nino by the shoulder. "_You can't tell her._"

"But-"

"_Nino, you have to promise me._ Don't tell Alya."

Nino blinked. "Dude, you were the one that found Marinette. This would change everything."

"It changes nothing, Nino. Because she _can't_ know. You even _shouldn't_ know. Ladybug made me promise, years ago, not to reveal my identity to _anyone_."

Nino grew quiet at that, his shoulders slumping somewhat. "You're saying that you don't want me to tell Alya that you were the one that found Marinette. You want her to continue believing Chat Noir and Adrien are two different people. You want her to continue hating you?"

Adrien's grip tightened on Nino's shoulder. "If she hates me now, nothing will change. Not even knowing that I'm Chat Noir. Because, at the end of it, Marinette is where she is because of me."

Nino's eyes hardened. "Adrien, you're blaming yourself for-"

"For something I am responsible for," Adrien said. "She was _happy_, Nino. I didn't have a place to interfere with that. But I did. For selfish reasons. Because I didn't want her to marry Luka. Because…" He sighed and let go, pinching his brow.

"Because you love her…" Nino said in response.

"Nino, I've loved that girl since I was thirteen. It took me nearly a decade to figure it out. And by then… it was already too late. But I can't… I won't move on from her."

Nino reached his hand forward, touching Adrien's shoulder. "She's in a coma, dude. One that she's never going to wake up from. I mean, Luka's moved on. He still visits her, but it's been a year. And you _never_ go see her."

"I… can't."

"Adrien."

"I mean it."

Nino sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, dude, you should… go see her. Just once. Before she…"

"Before she what?" Adrien asked.

Nino chewed on his lip. "It's been a year already, yeah? It's unlikely she's ever going to wake up. At this point, her family is making the decision to just… end it."

Adrien couldn't breathe.

End it?

No.

Marinette was…

She was…

_The night was dark, the moon hidden by the clouds. What should have been safe…_

… _covered in blood…_

_He held her broken body in his arms as her hand reached for his, pulling it to her chest._

"_Chat…" She must have been in so much pain..._

"_Chat, I-" He remembered her voice, soft, distant, dying. "Chat I need to tell...you…"_

"_Marinette? Marinette, I'm going to take you to the hospital. Hold on for me. Please!"_

"_Chat I-" her voice grew quieter. He was scared to move her, but if he didn't… if he didn't…_

"...Adrien. Adrien!"

He was jerked back to the present. He felt wetness on his cheeks and realized that he'd been crying. He rubbed his face quickly. "They can't," he said, his voice firm.

Nino's expression softened. "She's not there anymore, Adrien. We can't hold onto her forever."

"She'll wake up," he insisted. "We just need to give her a chance to heal."

"It's been a year, Adrien. She's _gone_."

"_No_," he said. "There's still time. She can still wake up."

Nino's expression changed again. "Ah...I understand now… She's your Ladybug, isn't she? That's why you won't give up."

Adrien couldn't answer. It was too much. "Plagg, claws out."

He took a step back, raising the ring so that the kwami would be sucked into it, transforming back into Chat Noir. He then ran towards the window.

"Adrien, wait!"

He didn't.

Opening the window, he jumped out, baton forward, and then began leaping back over the rooftops.

The city was burning.

No.

That was a lie.

The city was broken.

_He_ was the one that was burning.

He had to save his Lady.


End file.
